


A Demon's Favourite Gemstone

by Klawtwo



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Brief Mentions of the Dream Team, Complete, DemonBoyHalo, M/M, Not Beta Read, Slow Burn, They Live in the Minecraft World, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:34:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28562841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klawtwo/pseuds/Klawtwo
Summary: Hey guys!  This is my 2nd public fic that I felt simply had to be made after I noticed a distinct lack of finished Skephalo pieces (or at least ones that focused on Skephalo and not have it as a background relationship-.)  This was my “fic on the side” (working on Achieving Love primarily since that was already posted and needed updates, whereas this will be posted once it’s already completed just to spare everyone the hassle.)  I was really able to focus on it once Achieving Love went on hiatus (sorry to those that prefer that fic instead, I just needed a change of pace haha.)  It’s not the best and I had nothing to really go off of, but I tried.Also I want to put this warning here: I do not ship real people, I think that’s rather weird, but I do ship personas.  Plus, if you’ve watched literally any of their content in the past then you know they’re fine with this sort of stuff.  However, if one day they decide that they’re not fine with fanfictions, I will take this down.  Meanwhile, I hope someone can find joy in this piece :D.
Relationships: Zak Ahmed/Darryl Noveschosch
Comments: 10
Kudos: 169





	1. Diamond in the Rough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when virtual reality takes it to the next level? And what happens when that level allows you to finally meet up with your best friend who you've secretly been developing a crush on for the past few years? Can two people with completely different methods for taking on life successfully come together and live under the same roof? The world will never know. 
> 
> Or will it?

Zak (though he preferred to go by his IGN, Skeppy, since that’s what the world referred to him as) glanced around in curiosity. He never expected the device to _work._ Immediately his personality reverted into that of a giddy child as he looked around the vibrant new world. One of the first things he noticed was the strange texture everything held. Glancing down caused him to jump back in slight shock at his own appearance. When first putting the device on, Skeppy had only been wearing a simple black t-shirt (courtesy of the company which sent the device.) 

Now he was dressed in a teal hoodie that was slightly too large for him, which granted him the ability to form sweater-paws if he so desired. Taking it off proved to be a challenge, but once he had he noticed the “derp” face that rested atop the hood’s feature (iconic to his Minecraft persona.) Underneath the hoodie was a simple navy t-shirt that protected his body from being exposed to the elements. Putting the hoodie back on (if only for the style points since he didn’t really think it was cold,) he began to mess around some more. 

One of the more interesting features Skeppy discovered was that his hood had the ability to be pulled all the way down his face. Once down, he was able to clearly see the world despite the fabric slightly hindering his breathing. He pushed it back up. While it slightly puzzled him, he decided to just be satisfied with the fact that he could see out of the “derp face” if necessary, but he preferred to keep his hood up in order to take in oxygen properly. A grin quickly found its way onto his face.

This definitely wasn’t on his life-time agenda, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to explore new technology. Especially when said-technology allowed them to be transported into one of his favourite games, Minecraft. The project had started with the lead developers of a popular Virtual Reality company coming together in order to figure out ways to “truly immerse” individuals into another, more digitalized, world. It had been decided that the popular game Minecraft would be the perfect test. Upon entering the world, players were expected to feed themselves and ensure that they didn’t “die” via the game’s natural threats (though the word die held very loose terms, since death ended up resulting in the deceased being kicked from the game and thrown back into reality.)

Skeppy had been invited, along with several other popular Youtubers, to engage in the first official run of the game. Instead of following the other Idots (his small band of friends) or The Dream Team (friendly acquaintances,) he decided to wait until Darryl (who he preferred to call BadBoyHalo,) was ready to go in. The other had been nervous about entering the new terrain and had to be reassured countless times that time in real life tended to stop passage for those who were immersed in the gaming world. This did little to persuade Bad, though, so Skeppy finally resigned into offering Bad various dog-sitters in order to appease his mind.

Afterwards, Skeppy and Bad both joined a Discord call and began anxiously rambling to each other in excited tones. Well, Skeppy harbored most of the excitement, Bad seemed more nervous if anything. Finally, with reassurance from the company, they decided to put the device on at the same time. They were told that they would spawn near each other and had already planned out what to do. Skeppy would run around screaming (primarily because staying still simply wasn’t apart of his DNA) while Bad waited patiently until he heard Skeppy’s voice. The plan was full-proof.

Looking around some more, he noticed that upon waving his hand he would open what he assumed was the GUI over his wrist. Curiosity immediately overtook him as he explored the various functions it promised, growing oblivious to the rest of the world (as he tended to do.) Near the bottom of the GUI showed his health and hunger, both apparently at full capacity currently. A small part of his mind wondered if they could feel pain. From what the company said, that was sketchy at best. Apparently pain had been mandatory in order to ensure people didn’t go in to the game just to continuously die (or were unaware of their health) since revival took ages due to the device needing to reprogram everything. It was a lot of scientific nonsense that Skeppy didn’t have the attention span for, but he knew that basically too many deaths resulted in the device breaking altogether, rendering one unable to return.

Breaking away from these thoughts, Skeppy frantically waved his hand around once more in order to (hopefully) remove the GUI. It flickered back out of existence and he stared in awe for a few moments more before looking around once again. He supposed that he should begin using his best trait, a loud voice, in order to attract Bad’s attention. Wandering around while screaming at the top of his lungs, Skeppy was able to note the fact that he had spawned in an oak forest. Good. That usually meant there was a lot of resources around, at least to start out with.

He had wandered for what felt like hours (though in reality it was a grand total of four minutes.) Hope was fleeting, especially for someone as impatient as Skeppy. It wasn’t long (another minute, actually) before worry began to burrow deep into his stomach and knaw a hole through his nerves. Bad should have definitely heard Skeppy’s insane screams for attention by now. Right? A simple huff was all his body did to exert the increasing pressure that was being placed onto his head, a sure sign of a headache approaching. He couldn’t give up. His best friend was surely out there somewhere, he probably just wandered the wrong way. Skeppy wasn’t known for his good luck, after all.

As he circled around and wove through the oak trees, his mind took solace in the way his voice reverberated in the environment. There was no way anybody within a ten mile radius hadn’t heard him yet. But Bad still didn’t show himself. Slowly Skeppy’s feelings began to mix into a twinge of fear, anxiety, and anger at his lack of finding the other. Surely Bad didn’t just go off on his own and leave him behind. Surely not. As his mind registered through the various scenarios in order to keep himself sane, a dark shadow swept past the corner of his eye.

Instead of setting off every red flag in the book, like a normal person’s brain would do, Skeppy’s interest was immediately peaked. He turned and began looking around. Normal trees. Unsatisfied (and looking for an excuse to think of anything besides Bad, which was quite a feat,) Skeppy began prodding around the trees where he believed he saw the offending shadow. Excitement took hold once more. Perhaps it was Bad, trying to be sneaky in order to prank him. Well, Skeppy was going to let him know damn well that he had failed.

“Baddddd~,” Skeppy drawled out, eager to meet his comrade already. He had no mind for any other potential dangers that could be lurking around the corners instead. “C'mon dude, I know it’s you. Come out already.” As Skeppy approached yet another tree near his mental crime scene, a dark hand sprouted out from behind it (which may or may not have caused Skeppy to let out a shrill scream.) 

“W-wait, Geppy, don’t look-,” Bad’s voice was covered in a layer of distress and fear. Not fully comprehending what his friend was so afraid of, yet also not wanting to ignore such a commanding order, Skeppy leaned on the other side of the tree so that he wouldn’t be able to see Bad’s figure. He figured that his friend was simply waiting to do a grand reveal or show him something stupid (though in reality he thought everything Bad showed him was endearing-) such as flowers. As he listened to Bad shuffle around, a childish thought sprouted in Skeppy’s mind. Trolling was a lifestyle.

“Jeez Bad, the first time we actually get to meet each other in ‘person’ (though they were in the virtual world, Skeppy still counted it,) you refuse to see me? What? Are you taking a piss or something? I thought you only did that in your bed,” Skeppy grinned at his own snide comments and strange humour. If Bad didn’t roll with the punches, it would most likely get him to tell Skeppy what was really going on at least. And if the other did decide to pursue the conversation, then they’d both be on the ground laughing for another hour. It was a win-win situation to Skeppy.

However, when a sharp sob broke out from the other side of the tree, Skeppy couldn’t help but feel a sudden and intense sense of distress. That definitely wasn’t one of the reactions he had anticipated. 

“Bad, dude, you know that was just a joke right? I didn’t mean it. C’mon, it’s okay,” Skeppy immediately tried counseling the other. While talking, he nervously began to wander to the other side of the tree. Bad immediately noticed this and reached out his hand once more (which Skeppy noted was draped in a oversized black hoodie that had red trim,) and beckoned him back.

“GEPPY NOOOO, DON’T LOOK AT ME,” Bad’s tone was reminiscent of an upset child trying to stop another child from ruining their beloved sand castle. Full of worry and slightly hurt (he was his best friend, after all,) Skeppy resumed his position leaning back against the tree. He’d do whatever he needed in order to appease Bad, who was obviously in extreme distress. A few moments passed before Bad’s quiet sobs turned into silence. Skeppy was beyond worried, but too scared to talk incase it would further upset his friend. He absolutely hated how powerless his current predicament was.

Finally, Bad spoke up, “Are you turned away?”

“Yeah, I’m just leaning again the tree right now. Bad, what’s going on?”

Instead of answering his question, Skeppy found his eyes being covered by a pair of hands (at least, he assumed they were hands.) He groaned dramatically, hoping to add to comedic effect, and said, “Bad, I’m not in middle school, I know how to close my eyes. Trust me.” 

Still, Bad’s hands didn’t leave, and Skeppy supposed that was because Bad was genuinely scared of Skeppy seeing whatever it was that Bad was hiding. He guessed that all those times he had pushed the limits too far was enough to warrant skepticism. Fine. Whatever made Bad comfortable. He did, however, reach up and began rubbing soothing circles into the other’s hand, hoping to either help calm his friend or get the foreign skin to remove itself from his face. Instead, Skeppy only felt the other’s hands tense before relaxing slightly.

They stood awkwardly like that for a short few minutes before Skeppy’s mind allowed himself another advancement. Surely Bad didn’t expect them to remain like this forever, after all. Slowly Skeppy turned around (making sure his eyes remained comedically screwed shut just incase Bad’s hands slipped, he didn’t want the other to have trust issues,) and reached out to the other. It wasn’t long before he could feel the soft fabric of what he assumed was the hoodie that he had seen a sliver of earlier. When Bad didn’t react, Skeppy further pushed them into an embrace.

This was apparently a breaking point for Bad, considering how he immediately removed his hands from Skeppy’s eyes in order to wrap his arms around Skeppy as well. Skeppy felt as sobs wracked Bad’s body. His maternal (and slightly simp-y) side immediately took hold. Trying his best, Skeppy began awkwardly coddling his friend. Bad was one of the best people Skeppy had ever met. What could possibly torture him enough to have him so shook from distress. Was the virtual world really that shocking? While Skeppy contemplated the nature of Bad’s dilemma, a muffled voice spoke up from his shoulder. 

“I’m a monster Skeppy, a friggin’ monster,” Bad’s voice was barely audible due to it being directed more towards Skeppy’s shoulder and less towards Skeppy’s ear. It took a few moments for Skeppy to process what was said. When he did, his curiosity and concern only skyrocketed. Monster? He could feel himself almost laugh at the notion. If Bad was anything, it definitely wasn’t a monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was probably the hardest one for me to write, just because I didn’t really know what to do with it outside of “DemonBoyHalo”. Hopefully it’s still decent at the very least. I tried to write long chapters to ensure there wasn’t 70+ chapters, I promise-. Ending a story? Pssh. Real stories never end B). Also I rewrote this entire chapter twice. It doubled in length. I have never felt more despair. But also it was satisfying-. It lowkey completely changed the original tone though, but I hope it feels a lot easier and is more fun to read.


	2. A Halo of Insecurity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That moment when your best friend, who is renoun for his positive influence and optimistic attitude, turns into the demon. Life was full of little ironies, wasn't it?

When Skeppy had first entered the virtual world with his best friend, he thought the experience would be fun. He didn’t expect that he would have to console his crying friend about being a “monster” before even getting to delve into the excitement of the game’s mechanics. His hands carefully clung onto the soft fabric of what he presumed was Bad’s hoodie. He let the words of “I’m a monster” sink in to their full effect. As time waned on, Bad’s sobs lessened. Finally Skeppy felt as if he could speak without breaking the thin layer of glass that seemed to weigh in the air.

“What does that even mean? Of course you’re not a monster Bad!” Skeppy tried to remain cheerful, though it was obvious that his curiosity and worry were dominating his tone. Figuring there was no harm in it, he said, “I’m going to open my eyes now and then I’m going to laugh at your cute face because there’s literally no reason for you to think that you’re a monster.” His confident statement must have thrown Bad off guard, since the other simply tensed in response. Knowing Bad he had probably just stepped on a worm and felt bad or something, Skeppy reasoned with himself.

“O-okay,” the waiver in Bad’s voice gave Skeppy slight pause, but his friend’s impatience had grown too great to control anymore. He felt as Skeppy began curiously prodding at the back of his hoodie before threatening to pull away. At this notion, Bad wrapped his arms even tighter around his friend, his tailing instinctively thrashing out. Had Skeppy been more observant he would have noticed the strange protrusion, but currently he was too busy staring at the back of his friend’s hoodie with an “are you serious” expression.

“Dude, come on. You can’t be _that_ ugly,” Skeppy added the light jest on the end in hopes of lightening his friend’s spirits.

“Shut it you muffin, I’m talking about my _avatar_.” 

At this, Skeppy simply burst with curiosity and excitement. Bad’s Minecraft avatar consisted of white eyes glaring out of a pitch-black hood. Was Bad saying that the virtual world had transformed him into something akin to the grim reaper? Apparently sensing his friend’s excitement and childish joy, Bad sighed. 

“Skeppy this isn’t funny or anything. I look like a freak. A mutant.”

“Dude, I’m positive you’ll either look badass or you’re pulling my finger and actually just look like yourself, in which case I am leaving and you can build a house on your own.”

“Noooo Geppyyy, you have to promise not to freak out, okay?” Bad’s earlier sorrow and nervousness seemed to have mostly faded, washed away with the tears that still stained Skeppy’s shoulder. Now he just seemed resigned. They had to get started eventually, after all. It also wasn’t like he could hide from his best friend forever. 

“I promise,” Skeppy’s voice, though unable to resist adding a sprinkle of sarcasm to it after years of using the same phrase, offered enough warmth in it to make Bad feel comfortable. Using the count of three, Bad watched as Skeppy slowly peeled himself away.

Skeppy was immediately taken aback, his instincts questioning if what he was staring at was a danger or not. Bad nervously fidgeting with his tail, obviously flinching under Skeppy’s gaze. The tail wasn’t even processable by Skeppy’s brain, which was currently trying to comprehend the rest of what it was looking at. Glowing white eyes stared out from the darkness of a hoodie. In fact, the darkness wasn’t really darkness at all. Skeppy noted that inky skin of what seemed to be a liquid-texture (though he knew from Bad’s hands that it had to be solid) outlined an impish face that sheepishly tried looking away.

Unable to help himself, he reached out to poke the snout that protruded from the hood. A simple and embarrassed huff emitted from the creature and Skeppy lightly laughed. He looked around more, trying to soak it all in. A halo dimly floated above the creature’s head. His friend’s head. His mind was still failing to fully process it. Then, the thing opened its mouth and Skeppy was able to see the same static-white void that his eyes held. The fangs were kind of cute once you got past the rest of its appearance.

Unable to contain itself any longer, the being bellowed out in Bad’s voice, “Skeppyyyyyyyyy. What’s wrong with meeeeeee?” It nervously fluttered its hands up to feel the horns that invasively jutted out of its skull.

“Well it’s not _that_ bad,” Skeppy said, though his tone betrayed his true thoughts. He was confused, somewhat frightened, but above all, intrigued. Sadly, Bad was only able to get the memo on the first two emotions. He immediately dashed back out of sight. Sighing, Skeppy got up and followed.

“Yes it IS you muffinhead! What did I do to deserve this punishment?” The being huddled into a small ball, pitifully whining on the ground.

“Dude, it’s suppose to represent your avatar-”

“Then why are YOU different? You’re not made of diamonds or anything! Why couldn’t they have just put me into the hoodie?” The more the creature talked, the more use to it Skeppy became. This was still his friend. His poor insecure friend who now required immense counseling of which Skeppy could only dream of providing. Still, he’d try his best.

“I don’t know dude, don’t blame me. But, it’s not _that_ bad. You look super cool and I’m sure all those extra features can come in handy!” His words came out a lot more confidently than earlier, making the demon below him pause.

“Do you mean it?” 

“Yeah dude. It just takes a moment to get use to, but everyone should know that it’s still you. I bet Dream and them will think it’s super cool. Just think about what Technoblade must have to go through.” At that, Bad finally laughed. Skeppy smiled at the sound, letting his heart warm in the way that it tended to do whenever his friend experienced any form of joy. 

“That’s such a mean thing to say Skeppy,” Bad said as if lightly chastising a child. At that, Skeppy just rolled his eyes. At least Bad was a lot happier than he was just a few moments ago. Getting use to the tail and eyes might take awhile though.

“Well he deserves it for being too good at this stupid game. C’mon, we need to get started.” Checking his GUI once more (another thing that was still slightly startling though not nearly as strange as his friend,) yielded him with all the information he needed. They were already down two and a half bars on their hunger. He shivered at the thought of what starvation would feel like. Sure, they could be revived, but the pain wasn’t something anybody wanted to experience.

The demon timidly reached up in a silent plea for help. Skeppy obliged and pulled his friend the rest of the way up. Glancing around, the two awkwardly glanced at each other before Skeppy coughed and began too prod around their surroundings. While he wasn’t entirely sure what to do, he figured that the fundamentals of Minecraft would be a great place to start. At least, that was the reasoning his mind used when he decided to punch a tree at full-force.

He felt as his bones vibrated with the impact, screaming in agony upon coming into contact with the hard wood. Skeppy shouted and immediately began to backpedal, running into a worried Bad who had stood in order to better assess what his friend was up to. A small crack formed on the baseline of where the tree was hit, but quickly patched back up as if nothing had occurred at all. Skeppy silently cursed under his breath (if only to prevent Bad from reprimanding him for using ‘language.’)

“Skeppy! Why on Earth did you think that would be a good idea?” The demon’s tail flickered anxiously, reminiscent of an uncertain cat.

“Well that’s how Minecraft is suppose to work, isn’t it? Punch a tree. Didn’t know the tree _fucking_ punched _back_.” He huffed out in angry pain, ignoring the gasp of “Language” that can from his friend. Stalking back to the immobile fiend which had decimated his flimsy hand bones, Skeppy shot his hand back out (this time making sure he didn’t hit the bark too hard.)

Immediately the tree formed cracks throughout it, signifying the start of its demise. Satisfied and slightly amused, he began to gently slap the great oak before it crumbled into several small pieces that floated precariously above the ground. He looked at his demon companion (which was getting easier with time, though the stark white eyes were still slightly unsettling) and smiled. Bad smiled back, but it was obvious he had been worried about his friend doing another impulsively ‘stupid’ thing.

With a prideful huff (he always loved it when he could make Bad smile, no matter the form he took,) Skeppy strode over to the fallen pieces. He flinched slightly as they vacuumed towards his body before vanishing into seemingly nowhere. Glancing over at Bad yielded the knowledge that he had similar confusion. Then he remembered.

With a coy smile, Skeppy raised his wrist to his face and looked over his inventory system, which now proudly displayed the log chunks that he had just “picked up.” Full of pride, he gleefully turned to his friend (who apparently couldn’t see the other’s inventory.)

“I DID IT BAD! ARE YOU PROUD OF ME?” And just like that, Skeppy was thrust back into his loud and attention-driven self. Bad smiled at the sight, holding his tail due to its discovered tendency to flick around and smack itself into everything it possibly could. 

“Yes, but how are we going to get food? You don’t think we actually have to kill the animals, do you?” Bad’s faced was drawn in horror at the notion.

“Nah, probably not. They probably just need to be slapped and then they just go “poof,” Skeppy popped his hands open to symbolize his point.

“THAT’S EVEN WORSE-”

“Nahhhhhhhhh, don’t worry. We don’t have to eat just meat anyways. I can be the one that goes out and hunts stuff down if you want though,” Skeppy added the last sentence as an after-thought, not really willing to sacrifice the taste of meat. “Let’s worry about that later, for now we need shelter.”

Bad skeptically looked at his friend before giving in with a sigh. If they wanted to be with each other for a longer period of time, they’d have to actually put effort into surviving. While Bad wasn’t too concerned with keeping himself alive, Skeppy was a magnet for danger and moronic choices. And apparently one of those moronic choices was Bad, considering how he always found himself instinctively drawn to the extrovertive child. 

He sighed, shaking the thoughts away. Those kind of thoughts needed thrust back into the darkness of his mind, into a box where nobody would be able to access them. Especially not himself. A small part of his brain wanted to ponder it, though. Craved to wonder and know. However, there were more pressing issues to solve at the current moment. 

Looking to his right showed Skeppy as he was playfully slapping away at another tree, continuously glancing over to check on what Bad was doing. Thoughts of his monstrous appearance almost completely disappeared if he couldn’t feel the way his tail swished whenever he met his friend’s gaze. He wondered if this new body was a curse bestowed upon him by the virtual gods in order to exact their revenge for his sinful feelings. It was a silly idea, but an idea that made sure to push itself forward at the worst yet best possible moments. Something needed to reign him in, after all. 

He sighed before facing the tree that would be his new foe. Thoughts that had previously invaded his mind slipped away as he tried to recall the basics of Minecraft. They’d definitely need a house as Skeppy said, but there was no way on Earth that he was letting _Skeppy_ of all people design or decorate it. Thus, the demon raised a slightly clawed hand (which he still hated to look at,) and began to slap away at the unsuspecting tree.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I wrote this like two days before Winter Break. I’ll have so much more time to procrastinate writing both of my stories! (Which is lowkey what happened-.) Not that it impacted this one since this one was put out all at once, but that’s still the vibe I had when doing this. This was a challenge on me to stop being inherently wordy yet still being wordy enough to achieve my goals for each chapter in a coherent manner.


	3. It Glitters Like Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons are naturally warm. It's just another given factor Bad had to consider with his new form. Still, a part of his mind couldn't help but ponder as to why that warmth increased tenfold whenever a particular diamond man was around.

A stunning grin, full of triumph, shot through all of Bad’s emotional defenses. The demon had been gazing out over a small oak balcony, which connected to a meager wooden house, and was watching as his best friend tried to show off a small salmon that he had caught a few moments earlier. Bad found it impossible not to grin back. The past week had been spent with them tending to various tasks in order to secure livelihood inside the gaming dimension. While Bad horded the wood and worked on a shared house, Skeppy was adamant about gathering other resources and necessities. 

Well, somewhat adamant. If Bad was being honest, he had originally prompted the idea of needing food and other things in order to give Skeppy something to do other than give Bad heart attacks. He felt somewhat guilty about abusing his friend’s meager attention span, but knew that he couldn’t focus or get anything done if the attractive male was constantly harassing him for attention. Sometimes he questioned if Skeppy had sugar rather than blood in his veins. Nevertheless, the diamond man was more than happy for an opportunity to “show-off” his skills and worth. It was rather cute, in Bad’s personal opinion. 

The compromise proved to be fruitful (even if it didn’t prevent Bad’s mind from distracting itself with thoughts of Skeppy.) The house was small yet cozy, saved from the fate of Skeppy’s chaotic impulses, and their chests were well stocked with enough food to last for days. In fact, his diamond friend had managed to almost perfect the art of gathering resources and food to the point where he was growing cocky about it, though Bad didn’t mind. He enjoyed seeing his friend so happy about getting better at something so essential. Adorable.

Bad shook his head. Invasive thoughts had become a recurring problem over the past few days. What first started as simple ideas that could easily be dismissed as platonic friendship soon bloomed into words and scenarios that would better befit a newly wed couple, and Bad hated it. Skeppy was his best friend and nothing more. That’s how it should be and has always been. Yet still, instead of tweaking the rooms or expanding the house, Bad found himself gazing out towards the river where his friend had returned to a stalking method in order to capture more salmon.

He was memorized as the teal hoodie dipped in and out of water, not having the need to breach the surface as long as Skeppy had his hoodie down. It was rather strange to say the least, but considering Bad’s current demonic predicament he didn’t question it too much. Instead, he found it quite amusing to see the ‘derp face’ lurking in the water. Full of energy, Skeppy had dove head first into the river in determination to master the skill of salmon catching. And to both of their surprises, he had become quite adept at it. At least it was a healthy hobby.

Now a pile of fish laid precariously near the shore’s edge, added onto occasionally by the diamond menace. Watching his friend work, Bad could feel as his tail began to wish back and forth. He needed to distract himself. Turning around, he began to look around the house and admire his past work, contemplating what he should do. A light hum escaped him as he thought. Yet even as he put forth his best effort to try and decide where each new room should go, his mind always wandered back to that cursed yet radiating grin that Skeppy had flashed his way before pulling the hoodie back down and diving in again. Why did he have to be such a gay mess? His hum quickly switched into a frustrated huff as he reminded himself that the repercussion of rejection (especially from someone so close) heavily outweighed the slim chance of acceptance. And Bad wasn’t known to be a gambling man.

Thus, he resigned to his fate of endless pinning and emotional turmoil. And while he couldn’t stop his heart from skipping beats whenever Skeppy greeted him, he could grab his tail and prevent it from displaying his true emotions with its tendency to wag around like an excited puppy. If his friend noticed, he never mentioned it. In fact, there were times Bad was certain he did things on purpose just to get a reaction out of him. Such as the time Skeppy moved their beds to be next to each other in their shared bedroom (an act that made the demon certain that if the gods existed, they were definitely laughing in malice.) 

He shook his thoughts once more and focused on the humble abode. Upon first entering, players were met with the basic necessities for survival in this simple world. A crafting table, chests full of various miscellaneous items (Bad was still bothered with Skeppy’s lack of organizational skills,) and furnaces were easily accessible. It was the upstairs that Bad took full creative control and allowed himself the opportunity to play around with blocks. Especially since they had discovered a jungle biome early in their search for the ‘perfect spot,’ which let him spice up the rooms with hints of jungle wood.

A fanged grin sprouted across his face as he looked over his symmetrical design, proud of himself for his efforts in making a comfortable yet stylish living quarters. His heart also warmed at the thought of how Skeppy had reacted upon first seeing the finished completion, praising Bad in his own unique way (which happened to include quite a bit of jokes, but he was use to it.) And though Bad still despised his current form, he couldn’t deny the fact that it made him feel more empowered. His normal body definitely wouldn’t have had the stamina to finish the project so quickly. Thus, he made the most of his situation. He also couldn’t deny that the ability to move in virtual silence was good (especially when he wanted to follow Skeppy around in order to ensure the other didn’t get lost.)

He wandered slightly aimless, soaking in the atmosphere. He loved how calm the environment was. A part of him had been scared of joining at first due to the violent nature of the creatures (and a small fear towards his other friend group, the Dream Team. Some people could be too aggressive for his taste.) As he contemplated the past, a light tap on his shoulder jolted him back to reality. He spun around with wide eyes in order to find the source of the touch. It wasn’t long before his eyes landed on the culprit. 

Leaning casually against the doorway (in a way that was definitely unhealthy for Bad’s heart,) Skeppy smirked while soaking in the demon’s reaction. Bad returned with a huff and non-serious glare before turning his head slightly. Thankfully his dark appearance hid any form of blush that would otherwise be dominating his face. The tan man watched as Bad readjusted himself. It took all of Bad’s willpower not to turn back and stare. Staring would be gay. And Bad definitely wasn’t going to continue crushing on his best friend. Right? As he pondered the pros and cons of blatantly staring at his attractive friend, a voice snapped him back out of his thoughts.

“Heyyy~ fancy seeing you here.” A false sense of flirtatiousness (thought Bad was certain he had imagined it) lingered in every word Skeppy said. It wasn’t uncommon for them to act slightly non-straight. They were best friends, after all. This fact still didn’t stop the demon’s tail from flicking in excitement at the tone.

“Skeppy, we live together.” Bad tried his best to remain monotone in his statement, not willing to surrender to his friend’s antics. If Skeppy wanted to provoke a reaction out of Bad, he’d have to try harder. Why did he want him to try harder?

“Is that so? I don’t remember adopting a cat,” his teal hoodie shook as he broke out in laughter, moving out of his position against the doorway. Bad groaned at the joke and huffed indignantly while pulling his own hoodie down over his eyes. After the first few days Skeppy had grown adapted to Bad’s new form. In fact, the childish menace became obsessed with messing around with the demon’s tail and horns in order to experiment and play around with the other. And of course Bad could never say no. He did find it quite irksome, however, when Skeppy would compare his predicament to that of another tailed animal. 

“Very funny Skeppy. Did you bring in those fish you caught?” Using his trump card, Bad casually tried to shift the topic. It was a tactic he had developed over the years and always proved to be a great way for distracting the diamond troll. He didn’t account for the fact that Skeppy was in a highly amused state and that the topic of fish was simply another notch in his joke.

“Awwww, does kitty want a snaccckk~?” Upon hearing this, Bad glared at the cooing Skeppy (who immediately burst out with laughter.) His mind briefly remember Technoblade’s statement of “murder is cringe” in order to prevent himself from strangling his best friend. 

“Hey! At least I didn’t eat a raw pork chop the other day.”

“It was for science, Bad! Science! You can eat them without consequence in the normal game!”

“That doesn’t mean it would taste  _ good _ you muffinhead.”

“Well it looked good.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“No, you’re unbelievable.”

Bad sighed and shook his head in mock surrender. He watched as Skeppy let out a small yet dramatic pout and felt a light chuckle escaped him. It was impossible not to fall in love at the scene. Even with their friendly banter and fake arguments, Bad found himself getting more and more infatuated with every encounter. The gods were cruel to curse him with having such an adorable burden for a best friend. He felt his heart warm with joy (and got slightly scared it was going to burst from the heat) as the diamond man crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out in an attempt to hide his own grin. Bad felt his tail wag as he bent down and offered a hand out to his friend.

“Mmmmmm, no.” Skeppy rolled over on the floor, dramatically turning away from Bad’s offer. Always playing hard to get.

“C’mon Geppyyyy, I’m sorryyyy.” Though he wasn’t exactly sure what he was apologizing for, Bad knew this scenario by heart. He knew Skeppy wasn’t actually upset. Still, he played along with it in order to satisfy both of their theatrical sides.

“No.”

“Who’s going to go get the fish then?”

“You can go get it.”

“Geppppyyyyyyy,” Bad cried out in feigned sorrow. He forced his tail to flop to the ground in order to add to the effect of disappointment. The teal man rolled back over and gazed up at the demon. Bad crossed his arms and huffed before turning to stare at the wall (if only to prevent his mind from running wild with the thought of Skeppy’s current position and adorable appearance.) “Fine then.” The demon fully turned around and acted as if he was actually contemplating going outside. 

“Wait, Bad.” Bad could hear as Skeppy slowly pushed himself off of the ground and stalked around to the demon’s field of view. He couldn’t prevent himself from grinning at the diamond man before jumping over and giving the other a hug. If his touchy nature ever bothered Skeppy, the other never said anything, so he continued to hug his friend at every given opportunity. Just to spread positivity, of course. No other reason. Especially not because Skeppy tended to smell like happiness incarnate (more specifically the ocean considering his earlier escapade into the river.) The tan male returned the gesture and they remained like that for a few moments before Bad finally broke away.

They laughed at each other before heading back outside to collect the fish Skeppy had gathered earlier. Life was simple. Bad was glad he waited to go with his best friend rather than join the others upon first joining. He was certain Dream and them were probably trying to gather various achievements or beating the game or other nonsense that would lead to injury and temporary death. No, he much preferred the smooth way life was with Skeppy. Even if that way was chaotic. And while they did have their fair share of running away from mobs during their earlier days, Bad wouldn’t change their predicament for the world. He looked over and watched as his friend shot him another grin that rivaled even the stars in terms of brightness. God he was whipped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha I had no idea how to start this off. I had a very simple outline of what I wanted to do, but it really didn’t help me with wording. Curse my writing limits. Luckily Winter Break hit so I was able to work on this at my own pace without other stress factors siphoning my time. With that being said I still didn’t write for a solid week lmao-. I did rewrite this one completely as well, and did a lot of cutting. Hopefully it’s a lot smoother and better worded now.


	4. It Burns the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Skeppy agreed to enter the virtual world, nobody told him that his best friend would have been converted to a demon. He would have especially appreciated the forewarning that said-demon was actually rather cute and seemed hellbent on stealing his heart.

Skeppy stared out over the river that he’d been using as a source for salmon. His eyes surveyed the water’s edge as he observed the salmon swimming about their lives in a careless manner, unaware of the diamond predator lurking above. A small part of his mind yearned to jump in and catch a few in order to show off. He crushed the thought, arguing with himself that smelling like fish and river water was not a fate worth going through twice. Especially since Bad wasn’t even watching this time. His mind wandered back to when he had showed off one of his prized salmons to his demonic friend and the way that his tail had begun to wag back and forth in excitement. He grinned before pushing the thought back away. Those kind of thoughts, while sweet, always led down a darker mental path that he wasn’t mentally ready to deal with just yet.

Instead he looked over to see what the other was up to. The demon was currently fawning over a small dirt layout while holding a multicolour bundle of flowers. He had been insistent on implementing a garden into their small living area. Skeppy thought it was cute despite not having much interest in the project himself. He chuckled as he watched his best friend try to handle the fragile flora with taloned hands. It was quite the endearing scene, though he’d never admit it aloud. Ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat upon noticing the concentrated look that Bad held, Skeppy stood up and strolled over to investigate the scene.

He stood unnoticed over the demon before clearing his throat slightly. The other jumped in response, causing Skeppy to laugh slightly. While it took a few days to adjust to Bad’s unique form, he found himself growing to enjoy it more and more every day. Everything about it screamed adorable despite the deadly connotations that stories would have led one to believe. While Bad’s horns were sharp, his talons were a lot softer than one would think. Plus Skeppy loved the way the other’s tail would showcase his emotions, it definitely made it a lot easier to tell when Bad was truly upset about something or not. Not to mention the adorable way it wagged whenever Skeppy was around. He’d prefer not to comment on it though.

Regaining composure, Bad hummed slightly while looking quizzically at his friend. It took Skeppy a moment to remember that he was the one who had disturbed the peace and thus was required to speak in order to explain himself. He silently cursed himself for allowing his mind to wander off towards the small box of gay thoughts he kept locked away. Especially since, staring down at his confused friend, he couldn’t think of anything active to say that would excuse his reason for coming over. So he just shrugged and plopped down onto the ground. Bad hummed slightly before returning to his task.

Skeppy tried his best not to stare, but in a world where your best friend was turned into a demon and where said-demon was currently trying to plant flowers, it was pretty damn hard. Giving in to temptation, he watched with curiosity as Bad assorted the various colours into proper design. He smiled lightly when the demon gave an irritable huff due to not having enough yellow flowers to successfully complete the pattern. Yeah, the crush wasn’t going away anytime soon. But surely it was only natural. Especially considering how they interacted daily and balanced each other out in a stellar manner. Right? Plus the way Bad reacted to flirting (though Skeppy would never explicitly call it that) was too adorable to pass up. At least, those were the thoughts that argued from their prison deep within the diamond man’s psyche. Completely irrational.

Unable to contain his boredom of occupying himself for more than five minutes, and not willing to simmer in his mind while it was acting dangerous, Skeppy let out a long and childish whine for attention. Bad tensed slightly before sighing in relief, not expecting the sound. He spun around and offered a small fanged smile, which Skeppy immediately soaked into his mind. 

“Do you need something Skeppy?” The warm voice the resonated from the demon definitely was Bad’s, and it always managed to brighten Skeppy’s day.

“Mmm I’m boreeeeddd.” He responded simply yet with slight dramatic flair. Style and punctuation was everything after all. Especially to him.

“Then go be bored somewhere else, you know I’m trying to do something.” Despite the way Bad huffed indignantly, Skeppy knew the words held no true meaning. They enjoyed each other’s company. Plus, after years of knowing each other, he knew when he crossed a line, and currently now was not one of those times. Just friendly (but slightly flirtatious-) banter.

“But I like being around you.”

“Then don’t bother me while I’m working, you muffinhead.”

“C’mon Badddd, would you rather plant flowers or talk with me?”

“I’m doing both right now, aren’t I?”

“Yeah but I want  _ all  _ of your attention,” Skeppy whined out. If he was being honest, he didn’t have the slightest idea on what to do if Bad really did yield and give him undivided attention. Probably implode from a heart attack. Still, he couldn’t just let Bad get away from his antics. 

“That’s ridiculous Skeppy. I can’t just always focus on you,” Bad said, fidgeting with the flower bouquet in his hands. Skeppy noted the way that his friend wouldn’t look at him. Signs of discomfort. Did he go too far? Or was it something else? No, his mind was just craving to open up the can of worms that his emotions were with the simplest of body language. Bad was uncomfortable and that was it. He needed to backpedal and stop thinking about the gay alternatives.

“Yeah well, what kind of flowers are you currently planting?” The question sounded slightly off, not really befitting the conversation prior. Still, Bad rolled with it. He always did. It was like a secret code between them. If one was beginning to show signs of discomfort, they wouldn’t completely stop what they were doing (unless it was truly painful or boring to discuss,) but they would instead redirect it into a more positive light. 

“These are the tulips. I want to make a little rainbow heart with their colours.” Bad said, tail wagging lightly as he contemplated the end result. Skeppy’s childish and inquisitive nature took ahold as he scooted over to sit next to Bad in order to get a better look at what was being done. He didn’t comment when he felt something wrap around his waist, though his heart did do a minor somersault. In order to distract himself, he casually reached over and plucked one of the few planted so far. A sharp “hey” emitted from his demon companion.

“Why are you so adamant about planting a flower garden anyways? It’s not like it has much use.”

“Its use is to bring us joy. We could come out here and just breathe-”

“But we can breathe anywhere.”

“Well I enjoy it and since I’m the one making it, you don’t have a right to complain. Now put that flower back, you muffin.”

Skeppy huffed slightly before putting the flower back into the ground. So far the design was only halfway through completion. Bad was probably stuck trying to decide which colour to use next or thinking of other fun ways to spice up the aesthetic. 

“Not everything has to have a meaning, you know.” Skeppy looked over towards where the mumbled words came from. Bad was staring forlornly at the flowers in his hands, as if lost in thought. The tail that had been subconsciously wrapped around the teal hoodie had returned to the other side of its master. The loss made Skeppy’s heart ache slightly, though his mind was more focused on what he could say in order to escape this situation. Was this another one of those times where Bad was also being overly dramatic in order to make life more interesting, or was he genuinely upset? He supposed it didn’t matter. Either way, Skeppy inherently hated whenever Bad seemed to be in a sour mood.

“Of course not! I was just wondering… Where did you get these from anyways? I haven’t seen many flowers around here.” His tone was slightly bashful as he attempted to ramble away the awkward vibes. Bad chuckled lightly.

“That’s because you don’t pay attention.”

“Hey, I pay attention!” Skeppy hesitated slightly before continuing, “To important things at least-.”

“Psh, you don’t find anything important.”

“That’s not true.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah! I mean, I think you’re important. You’re my best friend after all. In fact I think all my friends are important. You’re just the most important.”

Skeppy spewed forth the words, not really focused on what he was saying. He knew that whatever came out of his mouth would simply be the truth, so there was nothing to worry about. Still, he paused slightly in order to regather his thoughts once he noticed how Bad had gone silent. Usually when they bickered like this it would go on for awhile before one of them caved or something else of interest came up. The diamond man looked at the demon, noticing the way that he plucked at one of the flowers currently in his care. Anxious habit. Cute.

“Do you mean it?”

He paused for a moment to process the words before laughing. Apparently this wasn’t the response Bad was hoping for, considering how the demon huffed and crossed his arms. Skeppy raised his hands in surrender before speaking.

“Of course I mean it dude. You’re literally one of the most important people in my life.”

“Then why did you laugh at me?” Bad whined out indignantly, causing Skeppy to chuckle even more.

“Because what you said made literally no sense. Why wouldn’t I mean it?”

Bad hummed slightly, as if lost in thought for a moment. Skeppy grew silent himself, pondering over the strange reaction. Just as the childish male was contemplating everything he had ever done wrong, the demon uncrossed his arms and let out a long sigh. Skeppy froze, unsure what was to come. What he didn’t anticipate, however, was Bad giving off a dazzling smile that burned through the rest of his dark attire. How could something so bright be surrounded by such darkness. 

“Thank you, Skeppy.” Bad’s voice sounded so genuine that Skeppy’s heart took pause. This definitely wasn’t good for Skeppy’s questioning-gay side. Hoping that his blush went unnoticed, the tan man simple shrugged and pulled down his ‘derp’ hood before standing up and offering a hand to Bad. Staring was what someone with a crush would do. Still, when he felt the soft talons of the demon grab onto him for support, he couldn’t help but ponder what it would be like to wish for more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m struggling to write Romance. Help. Procrastinated the hell out of writing this haha. This hit the point where I had to write really bad paragraphs that progressed the story and then rewrite the entire thing because I didn’t know what to do without a skeleton.


	5. Soul Shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A demon and a diamond, both rare in their own accord. What occurs when such rarities clash together in order to form an indomitable force?

Despite his initial indifference towards the flower garden, Skeppy often found himself visiting it whenever possible (without Bad knowing, of course. That would be an embarrassing conversation.) Not long after it had been completed, the pair placed hundreds of torches near the surrounding area in order to ensure no monsters would spawn and potentially ruin the environment (not to mention murder them-.) Skeppy found himself quite enjoying the way the candle light flickered over the colourful display, immersed in the feeling of comfort it brought. Sighing into the cool night air, he flopped down and stared at the night sky. Peace. It was one of those rare moments where he wasn’t hassled by the weight of his emotions and thoughts.

Ever since that day in the flower garden, Skeppy had been struggling more and more to reign in his rampaging inner turmoil. On one hand he desperately wanted to always be in Bad’s presence, to hug and cuddle him at every opportunity. On the other hand he was well aware that he was already a rather touchy person and shouldn’t push his friend’s limits (even if they never mentioned it.) Suppressing emotions definitely wasn’t his strong suit. He held his hand out in front of his face and absently counted the stars between each finger. Wandering minds led to stress, which was counterproductive to his nightly escapades.

…

Bad had woken in the middle of the night for no good reason. Usually when this happened his body would instinctively try to fall back asleep, unwilling to sacrifice such a precious activity. However, it seemed that tonight the demon had found himself tossing and turning in a way that signaled he wasn’t going to sleep for the rest of the day. With a heavy sigh he got up. A glance to the other bed. Another glance. Pause. 

If any part of Bad had still been yearning to sleep, it was now on full alert. His pale eyes desperately darted around the room, trying to figure out where his friend had gone. Rumpled bed sheets were the only signs that he had been in bed earlier. Every negative scenario possible flashed through the demon’s mind before he stopped in order to collect his thoughts. Skeppy probably had just wandered out to get a snack or something. Naturally.

Still, he opted to wander around the house in search of his diamond companion. A quick scan of each (mostly vacant) rooms only served to heighten the Bad’s anxiety. Images of Skeppy dying to the various monsters that roamed around at night ate away at his soul like the plague. He knew his friend would come back eventually if that happened, but how long would that ‘eventually’ take? Dissatisfied, he ran around outside in hopes of catching a glimpse of his friend.

…

Skeppy’s tranquility didn’t last for long before he felt the bite of frost begin to seep through his hoodie. He supposed it was becoming time to return to the warmth of their room. Just as he was about to stand up, a sound from the darkness scared him halfway out of his skin. His eyes scanned the surroundings in confusion. Torches lit up the entire surrounding area, there was nowhere for anything to be hiding. Right when he was beginning to calm his heart down with the thought that it was simply a parrot or other passive entity, a voice erupted from behind him.

“Skeppy? What are you doing out here you muffinhead, I was looking around everywhere for you!” Though the voice was soft, the worry in it was evident. That still didn’t stop Skeppy from nearly screaming in terror at the suddenness of the noise. He turned around to face the demon who had apparently appeared out of nowhere. Bad was currently staring at him in a way that radiated confusion and worry. Skeppy absentmindedly noted the way the other fidgeted with his taloned hands.

Skeppy stuttered for a moment as he struggled to regain his composure. What did he say? Sorry that he snuck out, it was only because he wanted to escape from his own thoughts? Surely Bad would then inquire as to what was troubling him, which would only lead to a conversation that Skeppy was planning to eternally avoid. Thinking quickly, he tried his next best tactic. Bickering. 

“Uhhh...what are  _ you _ doing out here, Bad?” Sadly it seemed that years of dealing with Skeppy had made the demon immune to his attempts at diversion. Thus, when Bad continued the conversation, Skeppy wracked his brain quickly in order to grudge up a plausible excuse that didn’t hurt his pride to say.

“I’m out here because I’m looking for  _ you _ . Why on Earth are you out here at this time of night? I thought you died or something-.” The longer Bad spoke, the more his tail flickered in anxiety and worry. Skeppy’s heart lurched at the sight. He hadn’t planned on Bad waking up and finding him missing. He couldn’t imagine what he would have done if the roles had been reversed (though he’d like to say that he wasn’t as much of a worrier like Bad was.)

“W-well, why do you need me?” Still unable to think of a coherent defense, Skeppy kept trying to buy time by pawning the questions off with more questions.

Bad looked at him incredulously. “Skeppy. I wake up, turn around, and you’re not there. Of course I’m going to look for you. I care about you.” The demon crossed his arms in slight annoyance. It was always a struggle to make Skeppy be straightforward, and while it didn’t make the demon love him any less, it was rather difficult to know exactly what his friend was thinking or doing at all times. Of course Bad knew that if he pried enough then Skeppy would eventually yield, but the demon was trusting and knew that his best friend wouldn’t do anything without a purpose. Even if that purpose was simply entertainment.

“It’s pretty safe out here now that we’ve put all those torches out.” Skeppy stated, opting to try and ignore the way Bad’s word impacted his heart in a way that was definitely not straight. How ironic was it, that his sanctuary in the flowers in order to escape his own mind would bring his problem straight to him. Life was rather cruel.

“Well, yeah, but-. You could’ve at least told me you were going outside. I would have came with.”

“You were sleeping.”

“I would have still come with.”

“I’m fine on my own, if I was actually going somewhere I would’ve told you.”

“I know…”

Skeppy sighed upon hearing the uncertainty and defeat in Bad’s voice. He knew the demon was just trying to look out for him. Too tired to put back up his pride defenses, he patted the ground next to him in order to signal that he wanted to sit together. He tried to ignore the way Bad’s eyes glowed slightly brighter at the notion. They sat in silence together. Skeppy leaned back and stared up at the stars. Bad shot him a questioning look, but didn’t say anything.

“Y’know...I came out here because this place reminded me of you.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. But Skeppy, we live together. If you wanted attention you could always just ask.” Bad really tried to ignore the way his mind took the tan man’s words. But gods, his mind really was determined to take that “reminded me of you” and run away with it. His tail flickered in happiness before he focused again on the way Skeppy tensed up. 

“Not like that,” Skeppy huffed out in slight annoyance as he struggled to find the proper wording. He let the conversation lapse into silence. The diamond man knew that Bad would wait with as much patience as necessary in order for Skeppy to figure out what he wanted to say, but that still didn’t make finding the words any easier. Especially not once he felt Bad’s tail subconsciously wrap around him. God, thinking was hard.

Noting his friend’s discomfort, Bad offered to change the subject. He was sure that Skeppy would tell him what’s on his mind eventually. For now he simply needed to be there. “Do you like the flowers?” A rather weak question, but one that served its purpose with the way that it helped Skeppy relax slightly.

“Yeah, yeah. I just really like their colours. I thought you’d think less of me if you know,” Skeppy sighed, as if the ghost of pride was escaping into the air. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the complete truth either, and they both knew it. Still, patience was always key.

“I’d never think less of your for something as minor as that Geppy,” Bad chuckled slightly, entertaining the thought before continuing in a slightly more insecure tone, “you know that you can tell me anything, right?”

“Of course I know that! You’re my best friend after all.” 

“Alright, I’m just saying-.”

And with that, the pair entered back into the realm of silence. Bad heavily disliked it but couldn’t think of a way to break it without seeming sporadic. At least it wasn’t as tense and awkward as it had been awhile ago. The moon hung right above them, signaling that the night was still far from ending. It wasn’t long before Bad felt a slight tremor radiating from next to him. He looked over to where his tail was vibrating, only to find Skeppy to be shivering slightly.

“We should head back inside if you’re cold,” Bad offered.

“I’m not cold.  _ You’re  _ cold.”

“Stop being a child, you’re obviously shivering.”

“No, you’re shivering.”

“Skeppy.”

“Bad.”

Skeppy laughed as Bad groaned in frustration. Instead of yielding or continuing their miniature argument, Skeppy leaned into the demon and let out a hum of content. Bad stuttered for a moment in confusion and mild embarrassment before succumbing to his fate. It was normal. They always did this. Right? While Bad was battling with a torrent of scenarios and ideas as to what everything means, Skeppy let out a small huff. In an act of what was a mixture of sheer stupidity and unfiltered bravery granted by the blessed gods of sleep deprivation, Skeppy softly spoke into Bad’s shoulder.

“I love you.” His words were barely audible, muffled in Bad’s hoodie. The words themselves seemed as fragile as snowflakes, and Bad was terrified to melt them away. His mind couldn’t comprehend a platonic meaning out of the words. Surely there was one. There always was. Skeppy was just a very attached person. Yet the demon still couldn’t help the way his heart pounded in his chest or the words that flew out of his mouth without much thought afterwards.

“W-What?”

Instead of properly responding, Skeppy pulled back slightly in order to look the demon in the eyes. His mind soaked in the way the other’s eyes glowed slightly brighter in curiosity and embarrassment. It took him a moment to realize that he had been straddling the other. Unsure of what to do or say, Skeppy continued to stare into his friend’s eyes and take in the way he cycled through emotions. He silently prayed to every god that he didn’t believe in to either let him escape this situation or rewind time. There wasn’t much going back now. And hey, if Bad really began to hate him, he could always just claim that he meant it as a joke or as a platonic friend saying, or even as a troll if it came down to that.

Bad, however, had been completely caught off-guard and was desperately trying to regain his composure. Sadly, it seemed that all of his thoughts and logic had been thrown out the window as he watched his friend stare into his soul. Did he mean it? Of course he meant it, he always meant it. But this seemed different. More personal. Was it true? Or was Bad’s mind playing tricks on him again. Did it matter? Things were bound to boil over eventually. And now it seemed as thought Skeppy was awaiting a response. But how does he respond? With the same fragility? Too many thoughts to consider but not enough time to ponder them all.

Instead, he resorted to instinct. Unable to control himself, Bad leaned forward slightly, heart still thumping wildly in his chest. A moment felt like hours. He closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for Skeppy’s laughter and malicious words that always followed in his trolls. He subconsciously squeezed the other’s torso with his tail, tensing as he prepared for the inevitable. Apparently his mind’s version of the inevitable and reality were not in sync.

Bad felt as arms wrapped around his neck, further peaking his curiosity and anxiety. Warmth. He cracked open his eyes in slight surprise before realizing that Skeppy had also leaned in and now they were kissing. Wait. Kissing? If the demon’s heart hadn’t imploded already, it was sure on the fast track to doing so now. Unsure how to properly react, he sat in euphoria before Skeppy slightly pulled away in order to catch his breath. Their breath. Bad hadn’t even realized that his lungs were begging for oxygen.

Obviously the action had been done out of impulse, judging by the way Skeppy’s face flushed and his eyes bulged open in realization. Not ready to go back to the awkward silence of before, though, Bad leaned in himself and began peppering the diamond man in small and uncertain kisses. He let out a soft hum as he felt Skeppy relax against the onslaught. Rationality was the furthest thought from his mind. 

Eventually he pulled back in order to admire his work. Shining blue eyes, half-lidded, gazed at the demon as if in a trance. It filled Bad’s heart with warmth and happiness. He didn’t know entirely what this was, but he also knew that he didn’t want to speak or interrupt it anytime soon. Thus, he tentatively pulled the other back in (giving Skeppy ample time to pull away if he wanted,) and began exploring once more. It was only when the night turned into day and the noises of friendly creatures began to emerge that they both separated for a final time.

“I love you too. Muffinhead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to write romance is not my strong suit, so hopefully writing stories like these help to improve my skill. I hope you guys enjoyed this little story I decided to make for no good reason other than “hey, there’s a lot of drawings of demon BadBoyHalo, but not a lot of fanfics with it-.” But it’s finally done! A day before I have to return to school! Rejoice!


End file.
